it's not easy to see
by daughter-of-october
Summary: Gray Fullbuster&Juvia Lockser II Let this heart ring true
1. i fell under your spell

_**i fell under your spell**_

**Characters:** Juvia Lockser, Sherry Blendy; mentions of Gray Fullbuster

**Summary:** "You deserve better, you know that, right?"

**Prompt&amp;Dedication:** Wrecking Ball [Miley Cyrus] «—» Ray

* * *

Juvia Lockser was not fond of drinking just to get drunk. She did not say no to whatever cocktail Mirajane would prepare for her at the guild — usually a gin and tonic because this was Juvia's favourite drink — but usually, she was no one to go and seek out a bar when she could avoid it.

After agreeing to go out with the other girls of the guild including Bisca who had first protested but after Evergreen had glared, she had given in. Juvia had never quite understood that friendship and usually assumed that it was because neither Evergreen nor Bisca were all that close to other women in the guild and were on teams with only men.

(And perhaps because Bisca was married and because Evergreen was as good as married which was more than anyone else could claim.)

Still, going to the bar was one thing. Going to the bar and meeting Miss Fiore herself, Jenny Realight, who was glaring daggers at Sherry Blendy who sat on the other side of the table, ignoring the blonde's glare and merely sipping her drink.

Three hours later, the situation was different.

Jenny and Mirajane had a fierce drinking competition in which Cana — relatively sober for once with the claim she was having a date later on — kept score on. Lucy was chatting with Erza and Levy, Bisca and Evergreen had grabbed Laki and Kinana and had ran for it the moment Mirajane's attention had no longer been on them.

All of this left Juvia in an uncomfortable position. To her right was Lisanna busy calming Mirajane which was a lost battle with Cana egging the white-haired woman on and on and on and to her left sat Sherry who was quietly nursing her drink.

**»I saw you in the Grand Magic Games,«** Sherry said as the silence became unbearable for Juvia and raised her gaze. **»You were good.«**

**»Ah, thank you, Sherry-san. Juvia is very flattered,«** replied the water mage as she nervously toyed around with her sleeve. **»Chelia-san was a formidable opponent.«**

**»But one you could've defeated if you had made better use of your elemental advantage.«** The puppeteer smirked as she downed the rest of her drink. **»I am not mad … she was, however. She doesn't like being treated like a child. Waiter!«**

Juvia had had to admit that the other woman was right, however, but she was not sure if it would be wise of her to say so. The situation was tensed enough already with Jenny being furious with Sherry for some reason the entire time and the last thing Juvia wanted was to get between the lines.**  
**

The water mage had not heard what Jenny had muttered but Sherry obviously had because her grip on the glass tightened to the point that she shattered the glass in her hand, causing blood to drop.

**»Sherry-san!«** Juvia rose to her feet and leaned over to get a better look at the injury.**»You need to get this patched up, as soon as possible.«**

The doll mage's slightly intoxicated state made it easy for the Fairy Tail mage to grab her upper arm and to drag her to the restroom where she swiftly took care of the injury.

**»You know, Juvia-san,«** Sherry remarked after being silent for a moment, **»I can really see you as an amazing mother one day, really. It's no insult … just a feeling … only…«**

And Juvia knew what Sherry wanted to say only that she was too polite for this. Juvia heard what they all said, everywhere, not just in her own guild. She knew that the general opinion was that she cared too much and Gray too little, that their emotional involvement in their relationship was too different.

And the worst thing was that they were likely right.

She was not blind enough not to see it and she had too much self-respect to delude herself. She knew that he did not care as much as she did because, truth be told, she had invested a large part of whatever developement she tried to get him to open up, for him to let down his walls and to let her in.

**»You deserve better, you know?«** Sherry asked as she looked at the blue-haired woman. **»Better than an ice cube with two legs.«**

**»And Sherry-san can be so sure because…?«**

**»I was there, once, sweetheart,« **the older woman shrugged. **»Just the thing was something else … we had trouble being in love with each other at the same time, you see? So that was not all that easy but … true love always wins.«**

**»Ren-san and you?«**

Sherry shook her head and a sigh escaped her lips. **»No, not Ren. There is a key to those ice mages, you see? Take a step back, admire them from afar for a while … they aren't perfect but they are, beneath it all, perfectly human. Conquer their human side. That's the way … unless you want to end up as a broken little doll … or as ashes in the wind.«**

Juvia was silent for a while.** »You seemed more drunk some minutes ago.«**

**»I acted … or Realight's glare would have left a hole in my forehead.«**


	2. scared of the sea

_**scared of the sea**_

**Characters:** Gray Fullbuster, Lyon Vastia, mentions of Juvia Lockser

**Summary: **»When will you admit that you are afraid?«

**Prompt&amp;Dedication:** Steal his heart [Emily and the Woods] «—» Molly

* * *

**»I seriously don't understand you.«**

And here it was.

Reason #1 one out of at least hundred reasons for why Gray was not fond of having to go out and drink with Lyon. His older foster brother had many flaws and one of them was his tendency to meddle around in other people's business — something Gray loathed.

But it had been Sting Eucliffe — god, Gray disliked that arrogant fool — who had written the message to the «other aces» to assemble and go out for some drinks to «strengthen the bond between guilds» and Makarov had not let Gray get out of it.

So now, they were all in Era where the best bars were located — according to Laxus who had heard it from Cana and everyone knew that Cana knew those things and Bacchus (another fool) had seconded it — and on their best way to get very, very drunk.

(Oh joy.)

Three hours into the meeting, some people had left already.

Bacchus, for once, had deemed them all as **«not wiiilllddd enough»** and had snorted and left them to find a wilder crowd. Rogue had used his best friend's distraction to become one with the shadows and sneak away, obviously as annoyed with the atmosphere as Gray himself. Laxus had left one hour later, claiming to have a job in the morning and needing to prepare — only that Gray had known the man for too long to misread the fact that Laxus was wearing is best coat which translated into «date».

Others, such as Rufus Lohr, the Trimen or Jura Neekis, had never shown up in the first place because they had been too busy.

(Gray really wished he had followed their example.)

Because now, he was stuck between a very drunk Natsu and his not-stone-sober-but-still-annoying brother.

What had he done to deserve this fate?

**»What are you ranting about now again, Lyon?«** Gray groaned as he considered drinking something stronger, just to tune them all out.

**»Juvia.«**

At least no more Juvia-chan which was a step up.

**»And that you don't understand is supposed to bother me? Get a life, Lyon, really.« **Gray shook his head, wishing for the conversation topic to change because he had just fought with Erza about the same thing and he was completely and utterly done with it all.

The white-haired man rolled his eyes and downed his drink before he raised an eyebrow.**»My guess is that you're scared,«** he said nonchalantly. **»Scared because whenever you care, something bad happens. Your parents, teacher…«**

**»I am not scared of anything.«**

**»Aside from losing people you care about, right?«** Lyon smirked and if the situation had been less confusing, Gray would have consideed the smirk to be a smug on.**»Because that always happened to you. The thing is just … if you don't let people in, you will end up lonely and bitter. Actually, just look at teacher's example … the pain she suffered was terrible … but she kept smiling and she opened her heart to others, even after it was torn to pieces.«** He shrugged, the old sadness returning for a moment.**»Really, we both have to face that we can't surpass her in terms of magic … so we should focus on other things.«**

**»You really like to meddle in my business, no?«** Gray muttered as he looked at his glass. There was no point in denying what Lyon said, not when they both knew that it was the truth. And in the end, Lyon was always right about Gray because no one else who was still alive had known him as long as the annoying Lamia Scale mage.

**»I am your brother, Gray,«** Lyon said seriously. **»And I had seven years to think about what Ur would want … and I am pretty sure that she would have said **_«If you don't love her, then give her back her heart.»_** because we both know how she thought about people who led others on.«**


	3. baby don't run

_**baby don't run**_

**Characters:** Juvia Lockser, Gray Fullbuster

**Summary:** The timing was right, now.

**Prompt&amp;Dedication:** Kiss me slowly [Parachute] **«—»** anon, Molly &amp; Ray

* * *

It was a warm summer night and Juvia was dancing gracefully in the streetlamp's circles of light on her way home. The alcohol was still in her system but its effect was fading quickly because her body did not allow for anything to hamper with it for a longer time than a few hours.

She had said goodbye to the other women at the train station because she lived in a different part of town than them, having left Fairy Hills a few months before, and she had politely declined Erza's offer to walk her home.

Juvia was less intoxicated than the rest — barely tipsy at this point, perhaps a little drunk on happiness and joy and whatever else someone could be drunk on — and she had once been S-class so she needed no one to walk her home, really.

However, her good mood dropped drastically when she spotted a familiar person leaning against the wall opposite of her apartment door because her experience had showed that Gray only stopped by when something bad was going on and she really was too tired for this now.

**»Yo,«** he greeted as he ran a hand through his hair.

**»H-hey,«** she replied as she fumbled with her key. **»You want to come in?«**

**»If you aren't too tired,«** he said as he followed her into her pretty and always clean apartment. **»How was the evening out?«**

**»Very nice … until Jenny-san got so drunk that she started a bar fight with Mirajane-san and Sherry-san,«** she sighed as she shook her head and switched on the lights. She had not understood what had happened exactly because she had been at the bar to get the next round of drinks for everyone but from what Lisanna had giggled into her ear on the way back, Jenny had had been angry with Sherry all evening and once her rage had been fuelled by the lost drinking competition, her common sense had vanished.

And drunken Jenny made no good decision.

**»Did you get hurt?«** Gray asked as he sat down on the couch.

**»No, no one used magic so it was rather safe for Juvia,«** she shrugged as she poured water into two glasses. **»Mirajane-san got a black eye, however, and Juvia thinks that Lucy-san's outfit suffered … as usual.«**

**»Your evening was a good deal wilder than ours, then,«** he muttered as he took the glass she handed him. **»Aside from the fact that no one from Blue Pegasus showed up.«**

**»They are all in hospital.«**

**»Wait, what?«**

Juvia sighed deeply before she pressed her lips together because she had a million ideas of what might have caused this and she really did not wish to get involved — at all.**»Jura-san may or may not have been involved in this,«** she said before she slumped down in her favourite purple velvet love seat. **»Juvia isn't sure, there seemed to be tension between Sherry-san and Jenny-san all evening and during the fight, Jenny-san told Sherry-san that she should be less arrogant without _«that egg-headed guy»_to fight her battles … which made Sherry-san very angry.«**

**»Holy shit,« **Gray said as he rubbed his temples. **»But all in all, you had fun, yes?«**

She nodded slowly. **»Why did Gray-sama come here?«** she asked after a moment.

**»Lyon,«** he said as he stared down at his hands. **»He, uh, was being his usual annoying self once again — but he happened to have a point. Ugh. I have no idea why I came here in the middle of night, I wasn't thinking. Sorry.«**

**»Juvia doesn't mind,«** she said as she got back up. **»But Juvia is hungry so she will leave you for a moment.«**

**»I won't take that long,«** he said as he rose as well. **»Just, I'm sorry, I guess, and I'm a coward … but usually, people I get close to die so I'm probably you and everyone else a favour by stay-«**

**»Gray-sama,«** she interrupted, her hands folded in front of her. **»Juvia _knows._ Sherry-san told her. And Juvia doesn't think you are a coward. Gray-sama is a brave man … and Gray-sama is no helpless child anymore. It isn't Juvia's place to say this … but Gray-sama should face his demons.«**

Silence.

**»…you are right, I'm done running,«** he nodded slowly as he closed his eyes. **»Just, what happens when I let someone, when I let _you_ in and you _die? _You matter to me, Juvia, probably too much.«**

**»Ju— _I_ will not die, never,«** she replied, dark eyes burning with fierce determination.

**»Promise?«**

**»Promise.«**

He smiled faintly as he rested his hand on her shoulder. **»Keep the promise, then,«** he said as he leaned in and pecked her lips. **»Also, I will stop by at nine in the morning, Erza told me about a new café here in town that supposedly serves great breakfast. We should check it out.«**

**»As a da-date?«** she stuttered, entirely confused.

**»I want to do this all properly so yes,«** he said with a shrug. **»I'm bad at letting people in … but I guess you know that already … and I want to try, you see? Because you are worth it.«**


End file.
